In today's society, the actions of others influence our actions more than ever, a good example of this is news networks and governments. These two examples both have a common goal, to inform people in the hopes that it might change their views, perspectives and personal growth. In the novel FAHRENHEIT 451, Ray Bradbury’s character Montag goes through a series of dramatic changes in his personal growth, perspectives and opinions. This then affected his judgment and his actions. There are three characters in this novel who have influenced Montag the most, these three characters are Mildred, Faber and Clarrise. Montag’s wife Mildred had a large impact on Montag's view and personal growth, she showed him that the people in their town were being influenced into filtering out their own problems and their …show more content…
”I wouldn't do a thing like that. Why would I do a thing like that?”(Bradbury 17). Not long after, the emergency personnel stated that it is a normal occurrence for somebody to overdose in their town. This shows Montag that dangerous things like overdosing happen often, and can happen to the people he loves the most. When Montag asks Mildred about her overdose, she pretends it never happened and ignores Montag’s worries. This shows Montag that people in his society are careless about their health and lives. Later in the novel Montag reads a paragraph out of the book The Sea Of Faith to Mildred and her friends while they were in the parlor having fun and watching the family. Clara starts crying and yelling at Montag to stop the reading. Mildred persisted by saying “Come on, let’s be cheery, you turn the ‘family’ on, now. Go ahead and get started. Let’s have a party!”(Bradbury 97). In this quote Mildred is trying to ignore Montag and his books, this is because Mildred and her friend are scared of the consequences of listening to the books. This shows Montag, that nobody wants to change their ways and they are ignoring their
Mildred's influenced Montag in a negative way. For example Montauk walked into the bedroom and kicked "[an] empty sleeping pill bottle that was full at the start of the day" showing that Mildred taken all of the pills in the bottle.(13) Mildred she would rather take pills and not think which Montag grew to abhor. As we often do when we sleep "Mildred slept with seashells in her ears" just like the radio or the tv we leave on when we sleep.(13) As many of us do today she spends much of her time watching tv or listening to a device unconnected to a social life.
Montag, conditioned to obey and conform, does not question the government's narrative or seek to uncover the truth behind the ban on books. Furthermore, Montag's personal relationships and interactions with others in his society contribute to his ignorance of the flaws in his world. His wife, Mildred, is a perfect example of the conformist mindset that pervades society. Mildred is more interested in her interactive parlor walls and seashell radios than in meaningful human connections or intellectual pursuits. Her shallow existence mirrors the emptiness and superficiality of the society in which they live, reinforcing Montag's complacency and lack of awareness.
In the midst of Montag’s self-discovery Millie was still willing to put her popularity status among her friends over her husband. After a confusing day of reading Mildred invited her friends over and allowed them to criticize him. “You’re nasty, Mr. Montag, you’re nasty!”(Bradbury 107). Rather than standing up for Montag she stood by her friends and later even turned him into the fire station. “Was it my wife who turned in the alarm? Beatty nodded”(Bradbury 117). Mildred was so heartless and disconnected to her real family she was willing to sell out her own husband without thinking of what would happen to Montag. As she left her home moments before its destruction the only thing she was upset about was her TV family. Mildred’s character perfectly represents the archetype of a cold wife as she is deceitful, unloving, materialistic, and
Montag stops and slaps her, causing her to cry. The presence of the books stresses the mass’s fear of possessing books because they believe that books are a threat to human happiness by feeding them knowledge. As for Mildred, she feels
Now I’ve had it proven to me. You’re nasty, Mr. Montag, you’re nasty!”(97). That quote is the reaction of one of Mildred's friends after Montag tried to experiment with something about his curiosity about why people don’t like books. Just because Montag read a small section of a poetry book, people think he is an awful person now. That shows you how horrible people think books are and why Montag wants to change the situation.
Montag says to Mildred, “Let you alone! That’s all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be left alone. We need to be bothered once in awhile. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?”(55-56). His head-strong attitude and stubbornness shine through with this quote. He wants people to get bothered, he wants them to have a reaction. If that is what he wants, he will stop at nothing to get that. He brings up controversial topics throughout the book just to get a reaction from people because he thinks that is what should happen for the world to be right. We wants to stand for something and wants everyone else to as well. Montag’s head-strong attitude is very important throughout the story with how he makes his decisions, but also his intelligence is what makes him aware of what is right and how he makes the
The bible says “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.” meaning down be around people who aren’t good influences (1 Corinthians 15:33). Montag is conflicted about his job and life after talking to Clarisse his neighbor. He realizes he has a plain life with a wife who follows the rules and doesn't do much; he then decides to become more of a free spirit like Clarisse. Both Clarisse and Mildred served as key people affecting Montags life. Clarisse had a bigger impact on Montags way of thinking, Mildred impacted the outcome of the books, and they both of them left Montag to face things by himself.
Montag’s Wife, Mildred, is a negative influence on him, trying to push him away emotionally and physically. She does not know who she really is and lives in an illusionary world with her obsession of television shows and believing they are real. He is so confused because she tries to ignore it ever happened thinking about all the bad things; “fire, sleeping tablets, men disposable tissue, coattails, blow, wad, flush...Rain. The storm. The uncle laughing...The whole world pouring down..." (19). After this incident he looks at Mildred in a different light and is someone who he can’t relate to. Another way she separates herself from Montag is through her "family", which is a television show. Montag constantly asks Millie “[if that] family loves [her]… love [her] with all their heart and soul" (83). Her world isn’t based in reality; they are clearly on different paths. Hers is one of illusion and his is becoming that of a totally self-aware person. She blocks everything and everyone out that is around her and lives within the show. Mildred opens Montag 's eyes to the real world and shows him that most people are uncaring and narcissistic.
Mildred’s friends reaction was filled with anger and sadness. Montag tried to kick them out because they didn’t understand how books were helpful, and he was sick of the world filled with ignorant people.
Montag desperately tries to convince Mildred that books would be the start to end their internal suffering, but she is unwilling to alter her view on her lifestyle. He tries to show her that how they are currently living is not good for either of them. When Montag is convincing Mildred, Mildred’s inability to realize the positive change books would have on her causes her and Montag’s relationship to end. “See what you’re doing? You’ll ruin us!
“That’s awful! ...Why should I read? What for?”(Bradbury, 73) Mildred hates the fact that her house and her ‘family’ would burn down if Beatty and the other firemen found out about Montag and his books. Mildred doesn’t understand why Montag wants to reason with her and what he finds so special in books. Mildred is a selfish woman who cares only about herself and her friends. As long as nothing happened to her ‘family’, she’d be fine.
For example, this event takes place after Montag had revealed the book to Mildred that he got from the woman's home. “‘You weren’t there, you didn’t see,” he said. “‘ There must be something in books, things we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing” (51). This quote shows that Montag is willing to understand why the woman decided to stay in the house. He is also realizing that there must be something important in the books and foreshadows that Montag will change as a person for the better, while Mildred does not care about the books and thinks that the woman deserved to die it also shows that she is a shallow person. The author did this to show a critical moment in which Montag will start making decisions for himself and no longer follow blindly and will stop being a good person that stands by and does nothing. Mildred as the opposite shows that she will always be the same person, someone who is apathetic,simplistic, out of touch with reality, and not inclined to change for the better. This is important for the readers to know seeing as this is a moment that will foreshadow the future showing that a character like Montag stuck following society's restricting rules
Montag feels at the begining of the novel that the communication is greatly lacking in society. People are becoming very ignorant and turning reallife realationships aside. They now turn to their "tv families". One victim of neglecting real life realtionships is Mildred, Montag's wife. Montag truley hates this. "Nobody listens any more. I can't talk to the walls because they're yelling at me. I can't talk to my wife; she listens to the walls. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough, it'll make sense. And I want you to teach me to understand what I read." (2.125). Montag hopes that his wife and him can rejoin their connection through the books, but is sadly wrong and must find some one else, Faber.
Mildred (Montag’s wife), has a very dull and bland personality. As Montag woke up that morning, “Mildred stood over his bed, curiously. He felt her there, he saw her without
Montag and Mildred are two important characters in the book. Montag can be described in many different ways; unfulfilled, courageous, and re-humanized. Montag never seems happy with his life; Montag is a firefighter an amazing hero in the society yet he is still not happy. Montag questions himself if what he is doing is truly right. Montag meets Clarisse, who makes him happy yet again to ad to his miserable life she is taken away from him. Any person or idea that makes him happy and fulfills his life is ripped away. Towards the end of the book, Montag is a courageous hero, trying to help the world make them realize they’re wrong: “That’s the good part of dying; when you’ve nothing to lose, you run any risk you want” (Bradbury 81). Montag like most heroes would give up his life for the better of the good. He wants to break the